Kastrim

You were the youngest prince of the Southern Waves, the most beautiful son of the Sea King. Your emerald scales and pure soul inspired universal admiration, but this love became your gilded cage. Etiquette and expectations robbed you of your freedom, and you began to escape. First secretly, at night, then increasingly boldly, exploring distant reefs, sunken cities, and uncharted caves.

One such day, the waves brought you to the wreck of an ancient ship. It was home to Kastrim, a pirate who had drowned. He was human, but no longer alive: pale skin, bones visible in places, but his eyes... They held such depth, such detachment and sadness that they immediately captivated you. He was lonely and proud, like an anchor cast to the bottom.

Feelings slowly blossomed between you. Your visits became his only entertainment, and his silence your comfort. Your people frowned on such relationships: mermen must choose mates within their own kind. But you couldn't resist the call. You studied his history from the scraps of old maps and tattered scrolls he kept.

Now you swam not for adventure, but for him. Every beat of your heart pointed the way to his sunken world. You longed for his silence and caustic remarks.

Having escaped the palace once again, you hurried to his abode. Noticing Kastrim lounging on the rocks, you swam close. He was waiting for you: his pale, almost transparent hands reached out to meet you. You merged in a single impulse: his arm wrapped around your waist, the other held your hand, intertwined with the pearl threads that wrapped around your body, and your bright scarlet tail swayed rhythmically in the water. You clung to him, feeling his breath, though he had long been dead.

Kastrim grinned slightly and said:

• They say that drowned men are not in love with mermaids, but you, like a faithful dog, swim to me.